Package for tea bags



Dec. 19, 1933. s. COOPER PACKAGE FOR TEA BAGS Filed May 29, 1950 INVENTOR 339720 6507.981 BY WMAIW9M ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT? OF F ICE PACKAGE ron TEA sacs Simon Cooper, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 29, 1930. Serial No. 458,842

15 Claims. (01. 206-=-46 This invention relates particularly to retail packages holding a number of tea. bags.

The objects of this invention are the construction of a tea bag to protect the tea, as it goes I from the factory to consumer, against any deteriorating influences; to provide a package which is appealing to the eye of the purchaser; to provide a package which facilitates handling of packages over the retail counter; to provide a package in which the tea bags may be supported in proper alinement and in which the attached tags may be displayed to advantage; to provide an insert on which the tea bags may be arranged before they are placed in the envelope; to provide means for preventing crumping of the package and the tea bags, and to provide an improved method assembling the tea bags within the package.

Other objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a display board with some of the packages in position;

Fig. 2 is a front view of one of the packages;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of i 2;

Fig. 4 is a front perspective of one form of insert;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the transparent en velope;

Fig. 6 is a front perspective of another form of the insert;

Fig. 7 shows still another form of insert and attaching tongue, and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on Fig. 7.

By referring to Fig. 2 the package 10 is preferably of general rectangular form and comprises an envelope 11 of transparent paper, glassine or cellophane such as shown in Fig. 5 in which the rear portion of the envelope is of the same extension as the front portion of the envelope so that when the flap 12 is closed against the rear portion it will seal the contents of the envelope.

For the purpose of facilitating assembling of the tea bags within the envelope and for preventing crumpling of the package, an insert 13, 14 and 15, such as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, is preferably employed on which the tea. bags are assembled and arranged before the insert is placed in the envelope.

The drawing shows rectangular tea bags 16 and when such are assembled on the insert it is preferable to arrange them, as shown in Fig. 55 2, in two vertical rows in which the tea bags of each row overlap, as shown, one row preferably overlapping in a different direction from the other row, and the rows preferably slightly overlapping each other at the center of the envelope.

The insert may take the form shown at 13 in Fig. 4 which is provided with a lower forwardly bent portion 17 which constitutes a seat for the tea bags and also constitutes a means for holding them against the back of the insert. This bentover portion stiffens the lower portion of the envelope and prevents the tea bags from settling down against the lower portion of the envelope and causing a bulge at this point. This bent over portion may take advertising matter if itis so desired and, as shown in Fig. 1, when the packages are assembled in overlapping relation these lower forwardly bent portions will display such advertising matter.

As shown in Fig. 4 the upper portion of the insert may be provided with a forwardly bent portion 18 which reinforces the upper portion of the envelope, and also keeps the tea bags alined. The rear portion of the insert, as shown in Fig. 4, may be provided with a tongue 19 which is preferably formed by stamping it out of the insert. The construction is such that the portions 18 and 19 pivot about a common line so that the tongue 19 extends at an angle to the back of the insert when the portion 18 is closed against the tea bags as the insert is placed in the envelope. The tongue 19 therefore readily engages over the rear of the envelope and normally projects angularly in a direction facilitatingassembly on the display board. This tongue is the means by which the packages are held on the display board 21, Fig. 1, which is preferably provided with tongues 20 stamped out of the board and preferably pressed forward slightly to facilitate assembling of the packages on the board. These tongues are pressed forward only slightly so that after the tongue on the package engages behind the tongue on the board the natural tendency of the tongue on the board to spring back to its original position will grasp the tongue on the package and hold the package in place frictionally.

As shown in Fig. 3, the tongue 12 of the envelope and the tongue 19 of the insert are preferably stapled to the body of the insert and to the front and rear portions of the envelope. This closes the envelope and effects a substantially airtight seal. It may be desirable in certain cases to supplement this sealing function by gluing the tongue of the insert and the flap of the envelope to the back .of the envelope.

- The packages are preferably arranged on the 110 board, as shown on Fig. 1, so that the upper packages or the ones to be removed next completely display the articles contained within the packages and also by their overlapping relation with the lower packages prevent accidental removal of the lower packages.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it is preferable to arrange the tags 22 which may contain advertising matter between the different bags and the envelope for display purposes.

By the arrangement described the tea bags which, as shown, are of rectangular form can be readily assembled on the insert in any desired attractive arrangement and the tags may be positioned to display their advertising matter, and then the insert together with the bags may be inserted in the envelope after which the fiap of the envelope is closed against the tongue of the insert and preferably stapled in position. By use of an insert it is possible to arrange these bags before they are inserted in the envelope which greatly facilitates the final arrangement of the tea bags and tags within the envelope.

As shown in Fig. 6, the insert 14 may be provided with forwardly bent portions 23 along the side edges which may be bent around the side edges of the tea bags to hold the tea bags in proper alinement and, further, facilitate the assembly of the bags and insert within the envelope. These bent portions also further strengthen the insert and prevent crumpling of the package and the bags.

As shown in Fig. 7, the insert 15 and tongue 24 may be made of separate pieces and the insert may take the general form of that shown in Fig. 4 without the provision of the tongue, if so desired. It is obvious that this insert may be provided with bent portions along the side edges as shown in Fig. 6. When this insert is employed tea bags are assembled on it as in the first form and the insert and tea bags are put into the envelope after which the flap of the envelope is closed and a separate tongue, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, may be secured thereto against the outside of the flap of the envelope. If desired one or more staples or similar devices may be used for securing the tongue and flap in position or the flap and tongue and envelope may be pasted together to provide a perfect seal for the contents of the package.

While several embodiments of the invention have been shown, still other embodiments may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention by those skilled in the art. It is therefore not the intention to limit the claims to the embodiments shown except as they may be limited by the art.

I claim:

1. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope of relatively thin flexible material, and an insert of comparatively stiff material partly enclosing the contents for preventing the envelope from crumpling or collapsing and extending beyond the envelope.

2. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope of relatively thin flexible material, means for partly enclosing and supporting a plurality of collapsible articles in position in the envelope, and means on said insert extending outside of said envelope for supporting said package.

3. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope of relatively thin fiexible material, an insert adapted to be placed against the back wall of the envelope, means on plurality of collapsible articles in a prearranged position, and means on said insert extending outside of said envelope for supporting said package.

4. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope, an insert placed 8 against the back wall of the envelope, means carried by the insert and adapted to rest on the bottom of the envelope for supporting a plurality of collapsible articles within the envelope, and means on said insert extending outside of said 2 envelope for supporting said package.

5. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope, an insert placed against the back wall of the envelope, means for supporting a plurality of collapsible articles in 9 the envelope comprising a portion on said insert resting against the bottom and lower front portion of the envelope, and means on said insert extending outside of said envelope for supporting said package. 9

6. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope, an insert adapted to be placed in the envelope and comprising a supporting tongue at its upper end adapted to project exteriorly of the envelope when the insert is in place in the envelope, a forwardly and upwardly bent portion on its lower edge, and a forwardly and downwardly bent portion on its upper edge, for supporting a plurality of collapsible articles in position in the envelope and for preserving their normal shape, the edges of said portions defining an opening whereby said articles are exposed to view through said envelope.

'7. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope and an insert resting against the back wall of the envelope and provided with a supporting tongue at its upper end adapted to project exteriorly of the envelope when the insert is in place in the envelope along its side edges with portions bent forwardly and 11, toward each other for holding a plurality of collapsible articles in position in the envelope in their normal shape, the edges of said portions defining an opening whereby said articles are exposed to view through said envelope.

8. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope, and an insert placed against the back wall of the envelope and .provided with a supporting tongue at its upper end adapted to project exteriorly oi the envelope 12, when the insert is in place in the envelope means on the sides and bottom extending forwardly and inwardly toward the center of the insert for retaining a plurality of collapsible articles in proper position in the envelope in their normal shape, 131 the edges of said portions defining an opening whereby said articles are exposed to view through said envelope.

7 9. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope and an insert 134 adapted to be positioned against the back wall of the envelope, a supporting tongue at its upper end adapted to project exteriorly of the envelope when the insert is in place in the envelope, and means on the sides, top and bottom edges 01' 141 the insert and extending partly over the front face of articles for holding articles in their normal shape in position in the envelope and providing an opening through which articles on the insert may be displayed.

10. A package of the character described, comprising a. transparent envelope, an insert, and means carried by the insert and extending outside of the envelope providing means for supporting the package on a display board.

11. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope, an insert within the envelope, and a tongue on the insert and located outside of the envelope when the insert is in the envelope, for supporting the package on the display board.

12. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope, an insert for supporting articles in position in the envelope, and a tongue struck out of the material of the insert for suspending the package on a display board.

13. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope provided with a flap, an insert for supporting articles within the envelope, a tongue on said insert extending over the top edge of the back wall of the envelope, and means for securing the flap of the envelope and the tongue on the insert together and to the body of the insert and the envelope.

14. A package of the character described, comprising a transparent envelope, an insert for supporting articles in the envelope, a supporting tongue on said insert and located outside of said envelope, and means for securing the tongue to the flap and body of the envelope.

15. An insert of the character described comprising a. main body portion, a forwardly bent portion formed on one edge of the insert, and a tongue struck out of the material of the insert in such a manner that its line of connection with the body of the insert coincides with the line through the connection between the forwardly bent portion and the body of the insert, SIMON COOPER. 

